An air cooler, or air-cooled heat exchanger, passes process fluid through finned tubes and uses ambient air as the cooling medium. It is a practical choice where cooling water is scarce, expensive or subject to environmental limits.
Main advantages
- No cooling water circuit and no cooling tower
- No circulating water treatment or blowdown
- Lower water consumption and simpler site infrastructure
- Tube bundle, fan and frame selected for the duty
Design limits
The achievable outlet temperature tracks the ambient dry-bulb temperature. A close approach temperature requires a larger surface area and more fan power. Dusty sites also need wider fin spacing and access for cleaning.
Typical applications
Air coolers are used in refining, power, chemical, petrochemical and metallurgical plants for cooling process fluid, lubricating oil and auxiliary water circuits. They are also used in packaged equipment where a water circuit is not available.
Mazelu builds air coolers with forced or induced draught, horizontal or vertical bundles, and materials selected against the process fluid and site air.